Uncork’d Entertainment has nabbed North America to the Danny Trejo-Tom Downey zombie thriller The Burning Dead, directed by Rene Perez.In the film, a sheriff must rescue an estranged family from a mountain during a volcano eruption and fight off a horde of lava-filled zombies brought to life by a curse. Jeff Miller and Jason Ancona wrote and produced the film which also stars Moniqua Plante (Nashville), and Robert F. Lyons (Death Wish II, Murphy’s Law). Mark Sikes is co-producer. Uncork’d will release the film in early 2015. ITN Distribution is handling foreign.

Ving Rhames will star alongside Luke Goss in the new sci-fi action film Blood Reef, which follows a former black ops soldier (Goss), who is kidnapped by a corrupt intelligence agency while looking for the ultimate fighting machine. He escapes to a shark-infest island where is hunted down by Steele (Rhames), but also finds shelter with a beautiful scientist. Cardinal XD is handling foreign and co-producing with Brigitte Jean Allen, who also wrote. The film is being directed by Brian Trenchard Smith in Australia early next year. Executive producers are Dale Bradley and Grant Bradley of Aristos Films, and Cardinal XD’s Jeff Goldman.

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Leomark Studios has snapped up U.S. distrib rights for Titan Sky Entertainment’s Star Leaf, written and directed by Richard Cranor, for release during summer 2015. Cranor also produces and stars. Star Leaf follows a group of hikers who find a secret grove of extra-terrestrial marijuana. But dude, it gets worse: They gotta fend off the aliens who are protecting their ganja. The film stars Russell Hodgkinson (Z Nation, Big Fish), Julian Gavilanes (21 & Over) and Shelby Truax. Star Leaf was produced by Hugh Berry, James Itokazu, Kristina Rogers and Kiki Yeung. Leomark is also handling foreign had also sold the pot pic to Feature Films in Australia/New Zealand.